Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same

ABSTRACT

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the actions of: providing a substrate comprising a preliminary pattern formed thereon; forming an opening through the preliminary pattern to expose an etch stop layer in the preliminary pattern; forming a dielectric layer on a sidewall of the opening; performing a first etching process to penetrate the etching stop layer and form a hole; performing a second etching process to expand a portion of the hole in the substrate; removing the dielectric layer; and depositing a conductive preliminary pattern on the sidewall of the opening and in the hole.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/781,659, filed on Dec. 19, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor fabrication and more specifically to a capacitor having a filled U-shaped base and the fabricating method thereof.

BACKGROUND

As the height of capacitors increases and the size of the memory array shrinks, the aspect ratio of the capacitors rises, causing the stability of the capacitors to weaken. The collapse or twist of the capacitors may lead to poor yield rate.

SUMMARY

The following is directed to a summary of examples of the present disclosure in order to facilitate a basic understanding of at least some of its examples. This summary is not an extensive overview of the present disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the present disclosure or to delineate the scope of the present disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the present disclosure in a general form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

In one example, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the actions of: providing a substrate comprising a preliminary pattern formed thereon; forming an opening through the preliminary pattern to expose an etch stop layer in the preliminary pattern; forming a spacer on a sidewall of the opening; performing a first etching process to penetrate the etching stop layer and form a hole; performing a second etching process to expand a portion of the hole in the substrate; removing the spacer; and depositing a conductive preliminary pattern on the sidewall of the opening and in the hole.

In another example, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an etch stop pattern, and a conductive pattern. The substrate includes a hole. The etch stop pattern is disposed over the substrate. The conductive pattern includes an upper portion extending upwardly from the etch stop pattern, a middle portion surrounded by the etch stop pattern, and a lower portion filled in the hole of the substrate.

In yet another example, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an etch stop pattern, and a conductive pattern. The substrate includes a conductive portion. The etch stop pattern is disposed over the substrate. The conductive pattern includes an upper portion extending upwardly from the etch stop pattern, a middle portion surrounded by the etch stop pattern, and a lower portion electrically connected to the conductive portion of the substrate.

The details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more implementations of the present disclosure and, together with the written description, explain the principles of the present disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings referring to the same or like elements of an implementation.

FIGS. 1A to 1H are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node in the semiconductor device in accordance with a first implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A to 2H are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a horizontal support layer in the semiconductor device in accordance with a second implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3A to 3B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a dual horizontal support layers in the semiconductor device in accordance with a third implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A to 4F are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node in the semiconductor device in accordance with a fourth implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5A to 5F are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a horizontal support layer in the semiconductor device in accordance with a fifth implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 6A to 6B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a dual horizontal support layers in the semiconductor device in accordance with a sixth implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 7A to 7H are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node in the semiconductor device in accordance with a seventh implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8A to 8B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a horizontal support layer in the semiconductor device in accordance with an eighth implementation of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9A to 9B are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a dual horizontal support layer in the semiconductor device in accordance with a ninth implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a circuit element in the semiconductor devices shown in FIGS. 1A to 9B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To facilitate an understanding of the principles and features of the various implementations of the present disclosure, various illustrative implementations are explained below. Although example implementations of the present disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that other implementations are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the present disclosure is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other implementations and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

FIGS. 1A to 1H are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node in a semiconductor device 100 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1A, the semiconductor device 100 includes a substrate 130 and a preliminary pattern 110 formed on the substrate 130. The semiconductor device 100 may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device. The substrate 130 includes a landing pad 155, a dielectric plug 158 having a first dielectric element 156, and a second dielectric element 157. The landing pad 155 may be formed of a metal material, such as tungsten, titanium, or tantalum. The first dielectric element 156 may be formed of a dielectric material, such as silicon nitride (SiN), by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The second dielectric element 157 may also be formed of a dielectric material, such as SiN, by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In some implementations, the substrate 130 may be a silicon wafer. A circuit element 1090 including a gate structure, an impurity region, and/or a contact plug may be provided in the substrate 130.

The preliminary pattern 110 includes an etch stop layer 111, a sacrificial layer 112 formed on the etch stop layer 111, and mask patterns 113 formed over the sacrificial layer 112. For example, the preliminary pattern 110 may be formed by sequentially stacking the etch stop layer 111, the sacrificial layer 112, and the mask patterns 113 using a deposition technique, such as ALD process, a plasma assisted atomic layer deposition (PAALD), a CVD process, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process, a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process, a spin coating process, a sputtering process, or the like. Preferably, the preliminary pattern 110 has a thickness falling in the range of 1 to 1.3 microns (μm).

In some implementations, the etch stop layer 111 may include SiN, silicon boron nitride (SiBN), silicon carbon nitride (SiCN), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon oxynitride (SiON), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), or the like. The sacrificial layer 112 may be formed of a silicon oxide-based material, such as silicon oxide (SiOx), plasma enhanced oxide (PEOX), boro silicate glass (BSG), phospho silicate glass (PSG), boro phospho silicate glass (BPSG), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), boro tetraethyl orthosilicate (BTEOS), phosphorous tetraethyl orthosilicate (PTEOS), or boro phospho tetraethyl orthosilicate (BPTEOS). The mask patterns 113 may be made of a combination of SiN and polysilicon. Alternatively, the mask patterns 113 may be made of a metal material.

As shown in FIG. 1B, an etching process is performed on the mask patterns 113 to form a first opening 160 a in the sacrificial layer 112 to expose the etch stop layer 111. For example, a dry etching process such as a plasma etching process, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) process, a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) process or a reactive ion etching (RIE) process may be used. The resulting first opening 160 a may be a tapered trench. The upper width of the first opening 160 a is wider than the lower width thereof. Accordingly, a plurality of tapered pillars 112 a are formed on the etch stop layer 111. Each of the tapered pillars 112 a protrudes upward and is in alignment with the dielectric plug 158.

As shown in FIG. 1C, an etching process is performed to form a second opening 160 b in the etch stop layer 111 to expose the substrate 130. For example, a dry etching process such as a plasma etching process, an ICP process, a TCP process or a RIE process may be used. The resulting second opening 160 b may be a recess. A portion of the landing pad 155 may be exposed by the second opening 160 b; i.e., a top surface 155 a of the portion of the landing pad 155 is defined by the bottom of the second opening 160 b. Accordingly, a plurality of etch stop patterns 111 a are formed below the tapered pillars 112 a. In some implementations, an opening 160 including the first opening 160 a and the second opening 160 b may be formed by a single etching process.

As shown in FIG. 1D, a dielectric layer 170 is formed on a sidewall 165 of the opening 160 by a deposition process such as a CVD process or ALD process. The dielectric layer 170 may be a spacer covering the etch stop patterns 111 a, the tapered pillars 112 a, and a portion of the top surface 155 a of the landing pad 155 to serve as a hard mask for the subsequent etching process. The width W1 of the non-covered area on the top surface 155 a falls in the range of 30 to 40 nanometers (nm). Preferably, the dielectric layer 170 has a uniform thickness of 70 angstroms (A).

As shown in FIG. 1E, an etching process is performed to form a hole 180 in the landing pad 155. For example, a dry etching process may be performed. The hole 180 penetrates the landing pad 155 by a predetermined depth. For example, the depth of the hole 180 is 0.2 microns and the width of the hole 180 falls in the range of 30 to 40 nanometers.

As shown in FIG. 1F, subsequent to the formation of the hole 180, the dielectric layer 170 may be removed by an etching process such as a plasma etching process, an ICP process, a TCP process or a RIE process.

As shown in FIG. 1G, a conductive pattern 190 is formed over the substrate 130 by a deposition process such as a CVD process or ALD process. The conductive pattern 190 may be a lower electrode or a storage node of a capacitor of a DRAM device. The conductive pattern 190 may be formed of a metal material such as titanium nitride, titanium, tungsten, or the like. The conductive pattern 190 includes an upper portion 190 a and a lower portion 190 b. The lower portion 190 b fills the hole 180. The upper portion 190 a covers the sidewall 165 of the opening 160 and the top surface 155 a of the landing pad 155. Preferably, the upper portion 190 a is partially surrounded by the etch stop patterns 111 a. In some implementations, the conductive pattern 190 may be formed by a single deposition process or a plurality of deposition processes.

As shown in FIG. 1H, the mask patterns 113 and the tapered pillars 112 a are removed. For example, the mask patterns 113 are removed by a dry etching process, and the tapered pillars 112 a are removed by a wet etching process. In some implementations, the conductive pattern 190 is electrically connected to the landing pad 155. The upper portion 190 a extends upwardly from the substrate 130 and has a vertical length falling in the range of 1 to 1.3 microns. The lower portion 190 b is buried in the landing pad 155 and has a vertical length (or depth) of 0.2 microns. Accordingly, a ratio of the vertical length of the upper portion 190 a to the vertical length of the lower portion 190 b falls in a range of 4 to 7. Preferably, the upper portion 190 a has a truncated hollow circular cone structure.

According to the example implementations described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1H, the capacitor has an improved structural stability. The lower portion 190 b of the conductive pattern 190 has a Y-shaped structure serving as a fixture base to enhance the structural stability of the conductive pattern 190, therefore preventing the capacitor from deformation. Furthermore, the lower portion 190 b increases the contact area between the conductive pattern 190 and the landing pad 155, therefore increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

FIGS. 2A to 2H are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node having a horizontal support layer in a semiconductor device 200 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 2A to 2H, detailed descriptions regarding processes and/or materials that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1H are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the semiconductor device 200 includes a substrate 130, a preliminary pattern 110 formed on the substrate 130. The semiconductor device 200 may be a DRAM device. The substrate 130 includes a landing pad 155, a dielectric plug 158 having a first dielectric element 156, and a second dielectric element 157. The landing pad 155 may be formed of a metal material. The first dielectric element 156 may be formed of a dielectric material. The second dielectric element 157 may also be formed of a dielectric material. In some implementations, the substrate 130 may be a silicon wafer.

The preliminary pattern 110 includes an etch stop layer 111, a first sacrificial layer 115 formed on the etch stop layer 111, a support layer 114 formed on the first sacrificial layer 115, a second sacrificial layer 115 formed on the support layer 114, and mask patterns 113 formed over the second sacrificial layer 116. For example, the preliminary pattern 110 may be formed by sequentially stacking the etch stop layer 111, the first sacrificial layer 115, the support layer 114, the second sacrificial layer 116, and the mask patterns 113 using a deposition technique. The first sacrificial layer 115, the support layer 114, the second sacrificial layer 116 may be a laminate structure. Preferably, the preliminary pattern 110 has a thickness falling in the range of 1 to 1.3 microns.

In some implementations, the etch stop layer 111 may be made of SiN or SiBN. The first and second sacrificial layers 115, 116 may be formed of a silicon oxide-based material. The support layer 114 may be formed of SiN or SiCN. The mask patterns 113 may be made of a combination of SiN and polysilicon. The mask patterns 113 may also be made of a metal material.

As shown in FIG. 2B, an etching process is performed on the mask patterns 113 to form a first opening 160 a in the sacrificial layer 112 and expose the etch stop layer 111. For example, a dry etching process may be used. The resulting first opening 160 a may be a tapered trench. The upper width of the first opening 160 a is wider than the lower width thereof. Accordingly, a plurality of tapered pillars 117 are formed on the etch stop layer 111. The tapered pillars 117 includes a portion 115 a of the first sacrificial layer 115, a portion 114 a of the support layer 114, a portion 116 a of the second sacrificial layer 116. Each of the tapered pillars 117 protrudes upward and is in alignment with the dielectric plug 158.

Referring to FIGS. 2C to 2F, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1C to 1F may be used to form the hole 180 as shown in FIG. 2F. The method for forming the hole 180 includes the action of: performing a dry etching process to form the second opening 160 b (e.g., a recess) penetrating the etch stop layer 111 and partially expose the landing pad 155 of the substrate 130. The bottom of the second opening 160 b defines an exposed surface 155 a of the landing pad 155. The method further includes the action of: forming the dielectric layer 170 on the sidewall 165 of the opening 160. The dielectric layer 170 conformally covers the tapered pillars 117, the etch stop patterns 111 a, and a portion of the top surface 155 a of the landing pad 155. That is to say, the dielectric layer 170 extends from the landing pad 155 to the top of the tapered pillars 117. In some examples, the action of forming the dielectric layer 170 includes performing a deposition process to form a deposited layer, and an etch-back process to remove a portion of the deposited layer. The method further includes the action of: performing an etching process to form the hole 180 in the landing pad 155. The mask patterns 113 and the dielectric layer 170 serve as a mask while forming the hole 180. Preferably, the hole 180 is in the middle between two adjacent dielectric plugs 158, and isolated from the two dielectric plugs 158 and the circuit element 1090. The method further includes the action of: performing an etching process to remove the dielectric layer 170.

As shown in FIG. 2G, a conductive pattern 190 is formed over the substrate 130 by a deposition process. The conductive pattern 190 may be formed of a metal material to serve as an electrode or a storage node of a capacitor of the DRAM device. The upper portion 190 a of the conductive pattern 190 conformally covers the tapered pillars 117, the etch stop patterns 111 a, and a portion of the top surface 155 a of the landing pad 155. That is to say, the upper portion 190 a extends from the landing pad 155 to the top of the tapered pillars 117. The lower portion 190 b of the conductive pattern 190 fills the hole 180.

As shown in FIG. 2H, the mask patterns 113, the portion 116 a of the first sacrificial layer 115, and the portion 115 a of the second sacrificial layer 116 are removed. For removing the portion 116 a, the mask patterns 113 is removed by a dry etching process to expose surface of the portion 116 a under the mask patterns 113. Subsequently, a wet etching process is used to remove the portion 116 a. For removing the portion 115 a, some the portions 114 a is removed by a dry etching process to expose surface of the portion 115 a under the removed portions 114 a (not shown). Subsequently, a wet etching process is used to remove the portion 115 a.

In some implementations, the conductive pattern 190 has a Y-shaped structure. Since both the upper portion 190 a and the lower portion 190 b contact with the landing pad 155, the conductive pattern 190 is electrically connected to the landing pad 155. Preferably, the upper portion 190 a is partially surrounded by the etch stop patterns 111 a at the bottom of the upper portion 190 a and partially surrounded by the portion 114 a of the support layer 114 at the middle of the upper portion 190 a. For example, the support layer 114 is connected to an outer sidewall of the upper portion 190 a as shown in FIG. 2H.

FIGS. 3A to 3B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node having a dual horizontal support layers in a semiconductor device 300 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 3A to 3B, detailed descriptions regarding materials that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2H are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2H may be used to form the conductive pattern 190 as shown in FIG. 3B. The method to form the conductive pattern 190 includes the actions of: providing a substrate 130 including a preliminary pattern formed thereon; forming an opening 160 through the preliminary pattern to expose the substrate 130; forming a dielectric layer 170 on a sidewall 165 of the opening 160; performing a dry etching process to form a hole 180 in the substrate; removing the dielectric layer 170; and depositing a conductive pattern 190 over the sidewall 165 and in the hole 180. The preliminary pattern includes an etch stop layer contacting the substrate 130, a laminate structure formed on the etch stop layer 111, and a plurality of mask patterns 113 formed over the laminate structure. The laminate structure includes tapered pillars 317 including two sacrificial layers 315 a, 316 a and two support layers 314 a, 324 a. The method further includes removing the sacrificial layers 315 a, 316 a by processes previously described in FIG. 2H.

According to the example implementations described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2H and 3A to 3B, the capacitor has an improved structural stability. The lower portion 190 b of the conductive pattern 190 has a Y-shaped structure serving as a fixture base. The support layer 114 a, 314 a, 324 a provides horizontal support between the conductive patterns 190. The enhancement of the structural stability of the conductive pattern 190 prevents the capacitor from deformation. Furthermore, the lower portion 190 b increases the contact area between the conductive pattern 190 and the landing pad 155, therefore increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

FIGS. 4A to 4F are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node in a semiconductor device 400 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4A, the semiconductor device 400 includes a substrate 430, a preliminary pattern 410 formed on the substrate 430. The semiconductor device 400 may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device. The substrate 430 includes a landing pad 455 and a dielectric plug 458 having a first dielectric element 456, and a second dielectric element 457. The landing pad 455 may be formed of a metal material, such as tungsten, titanium, or tantalum. The first dielectric element 456 may be formed of a dielectric material such as SiN by a CVD process. The second dielectric element 457 may be formed of a dielectric material such as SiN by an ALD process. In some implementations, the substrate 430 may be a silicon wafer. A circuit element 4090 including a gate structure, an impurity region, and/or a contact plug may be provided in the substrate 430.

Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1D may be performed to form the dielectric layer 470 as shown in FIG. 4B. The width W4 of the non-covered area is shown on the top surface 455 a.

As shown in FIG. 4C, an etching process is performed to form a hole 480 in the landing pad 455. For example, a wet etching process may be performed. The hole 480 penetrates the landing pad 455 by a predetermined depth. For example, the depth of the hole 480 may be 0.2 microns and the length of the widest portion of the hole 480 may fall in the range of 50 to 60 nanometers.

As shown in FIG. 4D, subsequent to the formation of the hole 480, the dielectric layer 470 may be removed by an etching process such as a plasma etching process, an ICP process, a TCP process or a RIE process.

As shown in FIG. 4E, a conductive pattern 490 is formed over the substrate 430 by a deposition process, such as a CVD process or ALD process. The conductive pattern 490 may be a lower electrode or a storage node of a capacitor of the DRAM device. The conductive pattern 490 may be formed of a metal material, such as titanium nitride, titanium, tungsten, or the like. The conductive pattern 490 includes an upper portion 490 a and a lower portion 490 b. The lower portion 490 b covers a surface of the hole 480. The upper portion 490 a covers the sidewall 465 of the opening 460 and the top surface 455 a of the landing pad 455. Preferably, the upper portion 490 a is partially surrounded by the etch stop patterns 411 a. In some implementations, the conductive pattern 490 may be formed by a single deposition process or a plurality of deposition processes.

As shown in FIG. 4F, the mask patterns 413 and the tapered pillars 412 a are removed. For example, the mask patterns 413 are removed by a dry etching process, and the tapered pillars 412 a are removed by a wet etching process. In some implementations, the conductive pattern 490 is electrically connected to the landing pad 455. The upper portion 490 a extends upwardly from the substrate 430 and may have a vertical length falling in the range of 1 to 1.3 microns. The lower portion 490 b may have a vertical length of 0.2 microns. Accordingly, a ratio of the vertical length of the upper portion 490 a to the vertical length of the lower portion 190 b may fall in a range of 4 to 7. Preferably, the upper portion 490 a has a truncated hollow circular cone structure (not shown).

According to the example implementations described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4F, the capacitor has an improved structural stability. The lower portion 490 b of the conductive pattern 490 has a hollow U-shaped structure serving as a fixture base to enhance the structural stability of the conductive pattern 490, therefore preventing the capacitor from deformation. Furthermore, the lower portion 490 b increases the contact area between the conductive pattern 490 and the landing pad 455, therefore increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

FIGS. 5A-5F are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a horizontal support layer in the semiconductor device 500 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 5A to 5H, detailed descriptions regarding processes and/or materials that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4F are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2D may be performed to form the dielectric layer 470 as shown in FIG. 5B.

Referring to FIGS. 5C to 5D, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIGS. 4C to 4D may be used to form the hole 480 as shown in FIG. 5D. The method for forming the hole 480 may include the action of: performing an etching process to form the hole 480 in the landing pad 455. The mask patterns 413 and the dielectric layer 470 may serve as a mask while forming the hole 480. Preferably, the hole 480 is in the middle between two adjacent dielectric plugs 458, and isolated from the two dielectric plugs 458 and the circuit element 4090. The method may further include the action of: performing an etching process to remove the dielectric layer 470.

As shown in FIG. 5E, a conductive pattern 490 is formed over the substrate 430 by a deposition process. The conductive pattern 490 may be formed of a metal material to serve as an electrode or a storage node of a capacitor of the DRAM device. The upper portion 490 a of the conductive pattern 490 may conformally cover the tapered pillars 417, the etch stop patterns 411 a, and a portion of the top surface 455 a of the landing pad 455. That is to say, the upper portion 190 a extends from the landing pad 455 to the top of the tapered pillars 417. The lower portion 190 b of the conductive pattern 490 may cover a surface of the hole 480.

Referring to FIG. 5F, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIG. 2H may be used to remove the mask patterns 413, the portion 416 a of the first sacrificial layer 415, and the portion 415 a of the second sacrificial layer 416, as shown in FIG. 5F.

In some implementations, the conductive pattern 190 has a U-shaped structure. Since the lower portion 490 b contact with the landing pad 455, the conductive pattern 490 is electrically connected to the landing pad 455. Preferably, the upper portion 490 a is partially surrounded by the etch stop patterns 411 a at the bottom of the upper portion 490 a and partially surrounded by the portion 414 a of the support layer 414 at the middle of the upper portion 490 a. For example, the portion 414 a is connected to an outer sidewall of the upper portion 490 a as shown in FIG. 5F.

FIGS. 6A to 6B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a dual horizontal support layers in a semiconductor device 600 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 6A to 6B, detailed descriptions regarding processes and/or materials that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5F are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

Referring to FIGS. 6A to 6B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those described in FIGS. 5A to 5F may be used to form the conductive pattern 490 as shown in FIG. 6B. The method for forming the conductive pattern 490 may include the actions of: providing a substrate 430 including a pattern formed thereon; forming an opening 460 through the pattern to expose the substrate 430; forming a dielectric layer 470 on a sidewall 465 of the opening 460; performing a dry etching process to form a hole 480 in the substrate; removing the dielectric layer 470; and depositing a conductive pattern 490 over the sidewall 465 and in the hole 480. The pattern may include an etch stop layer contacting the substrate 430, a laminate structure formed on the etch stop layer 411, and a plurality of mask patterns 413 formed over the laminate structure. The laminate structure may include tapered pillars 517 including two sacrificial layers 515 a, 516 a and two support layers 514 a, 524 a. The method may further include removing the sacrificial layers 515 a, 516 a by processes previously described in FIG. 5F.

According to the example implementations described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4F and 6A to 6B, the capacitor has an improved structural stability. The lower portion 490 b of the conductive pattern 190 has a hollow U-shaped structure serving as a fixture base. The support layer 414 a, 514 a, 524 a provides horizontal support between the conductive patterns 490. The enhancement of the structural stability of the conductive pattern 490 prevents the capacitor from deformation. Furthermore, the lower portion 490 b increases the contact area between the conductive pattern 490 and the landing pad 455, therefore increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

FIGS. 7A-7H are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node in a semiconductor device 700 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7A, the semiconductor device 700 includes a substrate 730, a preliminary pattern 710 formed on the substrate 730. The semiconductor device 700 may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device. The substrate 730 includes a landing pad 755, a dielectric plug 758 having a first dielectric element 756, and a second dielectric element 757. The landing pad 755 may be formed of a metal material, such as tungsten, titanium, or tantalum. The first dielectric element 756 maybe formed of a dielectric material such as SiN by a CVD process. The second dielectric element 757 maybe formed of a dielectric material such as SiN by an ALD process. In some implementations, the substrate 730 may be a silicon wafer. A circuit element 7090 including a gate structure, an impurity region, and/or a contact plug may be provided in the substrate 730. Further detailed descriptions regarding materials in FIG. 7A that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 1A are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

Referring to FIG. 7B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIG. 1B may be used to form an opening 160 a as shown in FIG. 7B.

As shown in FIG. 7C, a dielectric layer 770 is formed on a sidewall 765 of the opening 760 by a deposition process such as a CVD process or ALD process. The dielectric layer 770 may be a spacer covering the tapered pillars 712 a, and a portion of the etch stop patterns 711 a to serve as a hard mask for the subsequent etching process. The width W7 of the non-covered area of the etch stop patterns 711 a may fall in the range of 30 to 40 nanometers. Preferably, the dielectric layer 770 has a uniform thickness of 70 angstroms.

As shown in FIG. 7D, an etching process is performed to form a hole 780 in the landing pad 755. For example, a dry etching process may be performed. The hole 780 penetrates the etch stop patterns 711 a and the landing pad 755 by a predetermined depth. The depth of the hole 780 may be 0.2 microns, and the width of the hole 180 may fall in the range of 30 to 40 nanometers. In some implementations, the hole 780 may be formed by a single etching process or a plurality of etching processes.

As shown in FIG. 7E, an etching process is performed to expand the hole 780 in the landing pad 755. For example, a wet etching process may be performed. The width w7 e of the widest portion of the expanded hole 780 may fall in the range of 50 to 60 nanometers.

As shown in FIG. 7F, subsequent to the formation of the expanded hole 780, the dielectric layer 770 may be removed by an etching process such as a plasma etching process, an ICP process, a TCP process or a RIE process.

As shown in FIG. 7G, a conductive pattern 790 is formed over the substrate 730 by a deposition process, such as a CVD process or ALD process. The conductive pattern 790 may be a lower electrode or a storage node of a capacitor of the DRAM device. The conductive pattern 790 may be formed of a metal material, such as titanium nitride, titanium, tungsten, or the like. The conductive pattern 790 includes an upper portion 790 a, a middle portion 790 c and a lower portion 790 b. The lower portion 190 b may fill the hole 780. The middle portion 790 c may be surrounded by the etch stop patterns 711 a. The upper portion 790 a may cover the sidewall 765 of the opening 760 and a top surface 711 s of the etch stop patterns 711 a. In some implementations, the conductive pattern 790 may be formed by a single deposition process or a plurality of deposition processes.

As shown in FIG. 7H, the mask patterns 713 and the tapered pillars 712 a are removed. For example, the mask patterns 713 may be removed by a dry etching process, and the tapered pillars 712 a may be removed by a wet etching process. In some implementations, the conductive pattern 790 is electrically connected to the landing pad 755. The upper portion 790 a of the conductive pattern 790 extends upwardly from the substrate 130 and has a vertical length falling in the range of 1 to 1.3 microns. The middle portion 790 c may fill the gaps within the etch stop patterns 711 a. The lower portion 790 b is buried in the landing pad 755 and may have a vertical length of 0.2 microns. Accordingly, a ratio of the vertical length of the upper portion 790 a to the vertical length of the lower portion 790 b may fall in a range of 4 to 7. Preferably, the upper portion 790 a has a truncated hollow circular cone structure (not shown).

According to the example implementations described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7H, the capacitor has an improved structural stability. The lower portion 790 b of the conductive pattern 790 has a filled U-shaped structure, and the middle portion 790 c of the conductive pattern 790 has a neck structure, serving as a fixture base to enhance the structural stability of the conductive pattern 190, therefore preventing the capacitor from deformation. Furthermore, the lower portion 790 b increases the contact area between the conductive pattern 790 and the landing pad 755, therefore increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

FIGS. 8A to 8B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a horizontal support layer in a semiconductor device 800 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 8A to 8B, detailed descriptions regarding processes and/or materials that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7H are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

Referring to FIGS. 8A to 8B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7H may be used to form the conductive pattern 790 as shown in FIG. 8B. The method for forming the conductive pattern 790 may include the action of: providing a substrate 730 including a preliminary pattern formed thereon; forming an opening 760 through the preliminary pattern to expose the etch stop layer 711; forming a dielectric layer 770 on a sidewall 765 of the opening 760; performing a dry etching process to form a hole 780 in the substrate 730; performing a wet etching process to expand the hole 780 in the substrate 730; removing the dielectric layer 770; and depositing a conductive pattern 790 over the sidewall 765 and in the hole 780. The preliminary pattern may include an etch stop layer contacting the substrate 730, a laminate structure formed on the etch stop layer 711, and a plurality of mask patterns 713 formed over the laminate structure. The laminate structure includes tapered pillars 717 including two sacrificial layers 715 a, 716 a and a support layer 714 a. The method may further include removing the sacrificial layers 715 a, 716 a by processes previously described in FIGS. 2H and 5F.

FIGS. 9A to 9B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for fabricating a storage node with a horizontal support layer in a semiconductor device 900 in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 9A to 9B, detailed descriptions regarding processes and/or materials that are substantially the same as or similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7H are omitted herein, and like reference numerals are used to designate like elements. Referring to FIGS. 9A to 9B, processes substantially the same as or similar to those illustrated with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8B may be used to form conductive pattern 790 as shown in FIG. 9B.

According to the example implementations described with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8B and 9A to 9B, the capacitor has an improved structural stability. The lower portion 790 b of the conductive pattern 790 has a filled U-shaped structure, and the middle portion 790 c of the conductive pattern 790 has a neck structure, serving as a fixture base. The support layer 714 a, 914 a, 924 a provides horizontal support between the conductive patterns 790. The laminate structure includes tapered pillars 917 including two sacrificial layers 915 a, 916 a and the support layer 914 a. The enhancement of the structural stability of the conductive pattern 790 prevents the capacitor from deformation. Furthermore, the lower portion 790 b increases the contact area between the conductive pattern 790 and the landing pad 755, therefore increasing the capacitance of the capacitor.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a circuit element 1090 in the semiconductor device 100 to 900. The circuit element 1090 may include first dielectric layers 1091 a, 1091 b, outer spacers 1092 a, 1092 b, second dielectric layers 1093 a, 1093 b, inner spacers 1094 a, 1094 b, a mask 1095, and a gate line 1094. In some implementations, the first dielectric layers 1091 a, 1091 b, the outer spacers 1092 a, 1092 b, the inner spacers 1094 a, 1094 b, and the mask 1095 may be made of material selected from SiN, SiBN, SiCN, SiC, SiON, and SiOC. The second dielectric layer 1093 may be made of silicon oxide-based material, such as SiOx, PEOX, BSG, PSG, BPSG, TEOS, BTEOS, PTEOS, and BPTEOS. The space filled by the second dielectric layers 1093 a, 1093 b may be air-gaps when the second dielectric layers 1093 a, 1093 b are removed. The gate line 1096 may be made of a metal material, such as tungsten, titanium, or tantalum.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting of implementations of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, actions, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or action plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to implementations of the present disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of implementations of the present disclosure. The implementation was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of implementations of the present disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand implementations of the present disclosure for various implementations with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Although specific implementations have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific implementations shown and that implementations of the present disclosure have other applications in other environments. This present disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present disclosure. The following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of implementations of the present disclosure to the specific implementations described herein.

Various examples have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a substrate comprising a preliminary pattern formed thereon; forming an opening through the preliminary pattern to expose an etch stop layer in the preliminary pattern; forming a dielectric layer on a sidewall of the opening; performing a first etching process to penetrate the etch stop layer and form a hole; performing a second etching process to expand a portion of the hole in the substrate; removing the dielectric layer; and depositing a conductive pattern on the sidewall of the opening and in the hole.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer contacts the substrate and the preliminary pattern further comprises: a sacrificial layer formed on the etch stop layer; and a plurality of mask patterns formed over the sacrificial layer.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the opening is a tapered trench, and an upper width of the tapered trench is wider than a lower width of the tapered trench.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: removing the plurality of mask patterns by a dry etching process; and removing the sacrificial layer by a wet etching process.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer contacts the substrate and the preliminary pattern further comprises: a laminate structure formed on the etch stop layer, the laminate structure comprising at least one sacrificial layer and at least one support layer; and a plurality of mask patterns formed over the laminate layer.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one support layer comprises silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon carbon nitride (SiCN).
 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising: removing the plurality of mask patterns; and removing the at least one sacrificial layer.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern comprises a metal material selected from titanium nitride (TiN), titanium (Ti), and tungsten (W).
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first etching process is a dry etching process, and the second etching process is a wet etching process. 